Northwest Knoxville residents are about to have extensive new pedestrian travel options, thanks to a $1.87 million TDOT grant announced by Governor Haslam on Friday, Oct. 19.

The announcement is a game changer for the community.

Awarded to City of Knoxville Parks and Recreation, the TDOT Transportation Alternative grant funds the 1.5-mile Phase II of the Northwest Greenway Connector, which was outlined in the City’s 2016 Greenways Corridor Feasibility Study. Click HERE to view the news release.

Project map for the Northwest Greenway Connector - Phase II

The segment will run southward from the TDOT’s new $3 million pedestrian bridge over Western Avenue and end at Middlebrook Pike at Third Creek Road. The project will also include landscaping, a retaining wall, ADA upgrades and fencing.

The City has already funded and will soon begin work on the 0.8-mile Phase I of the Northwest Greenway Connector linking from the pedestrian bridge to Victor Ashe Park.

The completed pedestrian corridor will link thousands of residents in Northwest Knoxville neighborhoods to five schools, dozens of businesses and restaurants, a dozen or so churches, and a handful of large-scale shopping centers. Click HERE to view a blog explaining the sidewalks along the corridor.

KAT Route 90 - Crosstown

Even better, the pedestrian corridor will be supplemented by Knoxville Area Transit’s Route 90 – Crosstown, which currently supports 7,500 passengers a month. With multiple stops throughout Northwest Knoxville and with bikes riding free on all KAT buses, there will be several options for those in the area to get around.